Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety39#9,519/15,637
Economy8#14,432/15,631
Housing62#5,651/14,977
Health0#15,606/15,609
Healthcare2#15,349/15,650
Environment76#3,722/15,453
Education3#15,145/15,649
Infrastructure14#13,494/15,650
Community2#15,377/15,651
Leisure & amenities13#13,608/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Welch, West Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “McDowell County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Pharmacies · high4.2 /10k
99/100West Virginia 2.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDowell County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100West Virginia 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Home price to income ratio · low1.7×
95/100West Virginia 2.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Grocery stores · high3.0 /10k
94/100West Virginia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDowell County value
Property crime rate · low387 /100k
94/100West Virginia 1,053 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureMcDowell County value
Public libraries · high2.3 /10k
93/100West Virginia 1.0 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMcDowell County value

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low37.6%
0/100West Virginia 54.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionMcDowell County value
Premature death · high23,662 /100k
0/100West Virginia 12,969 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcDowell County value
Life expectancy · low65.5 yrs
0/100West Virginia 72.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcDowell County value
Injury deaths · high280 /100k
0/100West Virginia 151 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcDowell County value
Dental care shortage · high22.0
0/100West Virginia 15.5United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMcDowell County value
New business applications · low4.6 /1k
0/100West Virginia 9.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauMcDowell County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
2,966 (2015-2019) → 3,507 (2020-2024)
+18%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
40.6% (2015-2019) → 6.0% (2020-2024)
−35 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
32.5% (2015-2019) → 47.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
83.2% (2015-2019) → 72.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Unemployment rateImproving
8.4% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
23.7% (2015-2019) → 28.2% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Welch, West Virginia improved on 0 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Welch, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	14.5 min2015-2019	15.3 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.1%2015-2019	5.0%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Broadband subscriptions	78.6%2015-2019	77.8%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Effective property tax rate	0.37%2015-2019	0.73%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	1%
High school diploma or higher	83.2%2015-2019	72.0%2020-2024	−11 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Home price to income ratio	1.5×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	62%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4422015-2019	0.4162020-2024	−0.026	Within the margin of error	72%
Median household income	$37,8412015-2019	$32,9692020-2024	−13%	Within the margin of error	2%
Poverty rate	23.7%2015-2019	28.2%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	47.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Within the margin of error	4%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Welch, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Welch, West Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Welch, West Virginia itself moved −11.1 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,507 residents (±23)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 men (+6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,507 residents (±23)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

White65%2,271
Black24%853
Hispanic or Latino9.8%344

Education

3,020 residents (±144)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

No high school diploma28%845
High school or GED52%1,567
Some college11%337

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

681 households (±133)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k41%†282
$25k–50k24%†165
$50k–75k21%†144
$75k–100k6.5%†44
$100k–150k6.3%†43
$150k–200k0.4%†3
$200k or more0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

681 households (±133)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own75%513
Rent25%†168

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

164 households (±96)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $75066%†109
$750–1,00034%†55
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

513 homes (±118)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $150k94%481
$150k–250k6.2%†32
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

969 homes (±135)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

2010 or later2.9%†28
2000–20091.0%†10
1980–19998.2%†79

Size of homes

969 homes (±135)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Studio5.3%†51
1 bedroom11%†110
2 bedrooms27%†261

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

434 workers (±115)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone72%†313
Carpool14%†59
Public transit4.4%†19
Walk2.1%†9
Bike0.0%0
Work from home7.8%†34
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−17.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

400 workers (±119)

Welch, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under 15 min76%†305
15–29 min14%†56
30–44 min0.0%0

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of McDowell County, the county holding most of Welch's residents.

McDowell County has 213 employer establishments, 122 for every 10,000 residents (0.49× the US rate of 248; 0.60× West Virginia's), with 2,253 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,332. The Census Bureau also counts 469 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 213; 469 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 122; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 2,253
Average annual pay: $43,332; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of McDowell County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	23	13.2	2.61×More than typical	154	$72,617	17
Ambulatory health care services	15	8.6	0.41×Fewer than typical	154	$55,877	16
Gasoline stations	13	7.5	2.30×More than typical	93	$16,398	—
Health and personal care stores	10	5.7	2.16×More than typical	77	$41,805	3
Pharmacies and drug stores	10	5.7	4.62×More than typical	77	$41,805	—
General merchandise stores	9	5.2	2.92×Too few to compare	56	$23,304	5
Religious organizations	9	5.2	0.93×Too few to compare	20	$21,550	—
Individual and family services	8	4.6	1.64×Too few to compare	251	$20,853	9
Restaurants and other eating places	8	4.6	0.25×Too few to compare	93	$19,645	—
Grocery and convenience stores	7	4	1.35×Too few to compare	121	$28,446	3
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	3.4	0.68×Too few to compare	14	$37,500	28
Offices of physicians	6	3.4	0.53×Too few to compare	38	$58,053	—

Rank places for an industry Open McDowell County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,446 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $413.1K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Welch, West Virginia: $118 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $413.1K; −56% vs FY2025
Per resident: $118; US $1,995
Sole-source: 80%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$408.4K99%
Public Buildings Service$4,6691.1%

Top recipients

CITY OF WELCH$137.7K33%
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.$101.6K25%
WELCH GAS COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION$40.3K9.8%
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC$36.7K8.9%
EAST BAKING COMPANY, INC.$25.7K6.2%

Spending by fiscal year

107KFY2017
155.5KFY2018
167.1KFY2019
1.5MFY2020
142.8KFY2021
424.2KFY2022
278.2KFY2023
156.2K

Top industries (NAICS)

Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$137.7K33%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$101.6K25%
Natural gas distribution · 2212$40.3K9.8%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$36.3K8.8%
Apparel accessories and other apparel manufacturing · 3159$32.5K7.9%
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing · 3118$25.7K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Welch, West Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Welch, West Virginia's figures are part of those of McDowell County, WV ($4M in FY2026), never added to them: 10% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Welch is mostly in McDowell County.

See federal money in McDowell County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Welch, West Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Carol D. MillerR-WV-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 5.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

McDowell County10100% of residents

Other cities and towns in McDowell County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5485228

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends